I came here one night to grab one drink and leave. I ended up sitting around with a friend of mine almost well until closing time and having a good time. The DJ was spinning 90s hip-hop which is something that my friend appreciated and we settled in. We found a seat near the front after there was a mass exodus of people to go the back. I guess there's another room in the back?
Service was pretty easy to get to even though the bar gets crowded. It's definitely a too cool for school crowd air but it was easy going. I don't care what kind of crowd goes there if I can get a good beer, with quick service. Good hip-hop with good beer specials and bacon buns makes me a fun.
I love this place right after they open. Â Or, off nights. Â It is dark and divey and just out of the way enough that you wont get the suburban hipster in the city crowd here. Â The first time I went here, I hated it.
It was packed with dumb experimental music or something and too dark to see with all the people. Â When no one else is there, it could be my favorite place.
Super hip little bar and music venue. The front bar is small, dimly lit and stylish in a dirty hipster way. DJs were spinning good (obscure but not abrasive) tunes -- I even heard one of my friend's bands. Beers were average price -- $2 PBRs, a selection of IPAs and other nicer beers on tap and in bottles for $4 or $5.
They've got live music in the back room. There's a small, low to the ground stage. The space is tiny, and on the crowded night I was there, the heat was pumping, which led to some very sweaty dancing. This is not necessarily a bad thing -- much better than being too chilly. The sound system was fine. The door price of $7 was a little high for the unknown bands that we're playing, but the room was crowded, so I guess enough people are willing to pay.
It's nice to have a good, unpretentious neighborhood bar west of Kedzie. Sure, it's full of cool kids, but I've never found the atmosphere to be unfriendly or irritating (and this even goes for New Year's Eve). The front bar is warm, cozy, and inviting -- a perfect place to warm up, drink cheap beer, and hang out. The back room is a smallish but still good-sized room for live music, with a good sound system and reasonable cover charges (technically donations).
Given that this is a short walk from my apartment, I'd say this is the most likely spot I'd head to for a few drinks in the upcoming months. I'll admit that I'm not as certain of how I may feel about it once the weather warms up, since the windows up front are effectively nonexistent and I doubt they'll have outdoor seating...but we'll have to see. In the meantime, I have no complaints.
Now that the Burlington has opened the back room to bands, their stock has gone up! I really appreciate that the Burlington will let bands start earlier on a weeknight and that it's a donation at the door as opposed to cover.
The room is just right for small shows--not too big, not too small. I like the concrete-industrial vibe.
I hope to come here more frequently with the recent changes.
I really like this bar. Yes, it is small. But the people (hipsters, if you must) who gather there are friendly and don't mind being jostled as you move about the place. Yes, drink variety is not the best (meaning don't ask for a White Russian as they can't make it). But, they have plenty to choose from and the prices are good and they are generous with their pours. Yes, it is a little out of the way. But this is Chicago and cabs are everywhere.
My favorite part about the Burlington is that they have a back venue for live music where some of my favorite local bands perform. There is another bar back there, so you will be able to refresh your drink as often as you want. And, the crowd is dynamic and exciting, which translates into a music venue that is receptive and alive.
Only negative, this is a straight up bar with no food.
In a nutshell - the staff at this place rocked. I lost my keys and the doorman cracked out the flashlights in  a minute. Most bars are afraid to disturb the "paying customers" but these guys got on it to help me out.
The bartenders took the time to come over and offer consolation. Keep in mind I am not a hot chick - more like a hot mess at that point - but the bartenders and the doorman were very cool and they also assured me they would keep an extra look out when they closed up for the night.
I am far too old for that place, but the staff is top flight!
I lived 3 blocks away for over a year and didn't even know this place existed. You can walk by it and never know it exists. That face kind of speaks volumes about the place.
They have a pretty mediocre beer select on tap, with the usual suspects for any place that isn't an Applebees. I really like the interior, with the size appropriate for a neighbor-type bar and wood paneling. Unfortunately the seats are pretty few and far between. The seating that is provided is pretty weak, with backless short stools carrying most of the weight.
The bartenders are pretty hit or miss, depending a lot on how you look and how much you tip the first time. If you look like you walked out of a J. Crew catalog, don't be surprised if they don't give you an old fashion - this place is decidedly plaid and horn-rimmed.
All in all it's a nice place to visit on occasions. It gets pretty busy around 10:30, even during the week. I wish they had bars snacks to redeem some of their shortcomings...
I'm having a hard time with this one. I am.
I want to give you four stars, Burlington. But I sorta also want to give you two stars.
I like your interior. I like that it's dark. I like the wood everywhere. I love the taxidermy behind the bar (suck it, PETA). Your beer selection, both tap and bottle, is quite nice. In my experience, drinks have been poured just fine (vs other reviews). The bartenders aren't the friendliest people there are, but I've never experienced a downright rude bartender, either.
Your clientele is bad. I usually come in there late at night, and am greeted with a bunch of young annoying kids who feel they're really slumming it by being W of Kedzie (IE the 'rest' of Logan Square).
You take cards, but have some odd system by which you only run a card once per evening, to keep costs down, or whatever the bartender mumbled to me. Huh? That's really weird. If you dont' want to accept cards, just be cash only. Yeah, it's 2011, and that's really dumb, but you don't serve food, so it's only half as bad.
You guys have some baaaad taste in DJs. It is clear that this is the sorta place (correct me if I'm wrong, please) where the DJs are either friends w the bartender, friends w management, or 'really cool about town.' I've been a DJ for over fifteen years (no, I did get dissed by the Burlington and am writing a bad review as a result), I personally like the "NO REQUESTS" litebrite (awesome) sign. However, your music is just fucking awful, and you guys cannot match beats, or even transition properly wo matching beats. I realize matching beats went out of vogue w DJs after DJs stopped being drawn from the raver pool and started coming from the hipster indie pool, but all the same, shoes in the dryer are shoes in the dryer.
I don't really mind a bar being loud, but dude, you guys have some piss poor EQing. Tune your sound system, good lord. The highs are so high they cut into my eardrums. If you tuned it correctly, it could be loud but still clear, IE people could talk, and you wouldn't get as many 'omfg this place is so loud' complaints. I'd say if you have good DJs, they'd know how to adjust their mix to your rig, but...
Basically, it's just disappointing. I'd been here many times prior to moving to the area. The Whirlaway and The Burlington were two of my favorite Logan Square places. Now that I actually live here, I see it was more hype/drunkedess on my part. Too bad. I want to like you. I want to be excited to walk to you with my friends. But I just can't be.
This places blows!
Rude bartenders, terrible auxiliary lighting, the words "No Requests" in Lite Bright letters above the DJ.
Seriously, who the fuck do these people think they are? I tripped over shit constantly on the handful of times I've been in this place, and church pews are not really comfortable. Not to mention, Mr. V-neck bartender (I could of swore someone called him "Wolf", if his name isn't Wolf, then he should change it to Wolf, because the dude looked like a Wolf to me) didn't give an inkling of a damn to serve me until 15 minutes after I was at the bar. Now, let me mind you, it was not PACKED nor on a weekend, we're talking 10 people tops. I was patiently waiting and then eventually just left.
Go to Whirlaway down the street and experience great service and an awesome jukebox selection. The environment is friendly and the service is welcoming. Burlington is for Hipsters who don't want to hop the train into Wicker Park.
Let's say your out to dinner in Logan Square on a Sunday night. Â Maybe you've had few beers. Â Perhaps you don't want to go home yet and you're looking for something fun, exciting, interesting and, dare I say titillating, to do?
Go to The Burlington for the Sunday Night Sex Show.
When someone tells you, "Hey, let's go to the Sunday Night Sex Show at The Burlington," you might start imaging two people fucking on the floor of a bar. Â Or simulated blow jobs. Â Or weird shit you really just don't want to see. Â I know I did. Â What was I supposed to think??
Turns out the Sunday Night Sex show is an event held the last Sunday of every month where writers share stories about their sex lives. Â They may be funny. Â They may be serious. Â They may be gross. Â They may be super-duper sexy. Â They might be raw. Â Whatever the story, they sure are entertaining and they're definitely real. Â It's a cool experience to hear people open up to a room full of strangers about their sex lives.
Not only do you hear multiple writers read their essays, but the two hosts take questions from the audience about sex, yell out trivia questions for prizes (guess who won a penis straw?) and keep everyone on task. Â The writers generally hung out for a while after their readings so bar patrons could interact with them and ask questions. Â Hell, I know I full on hugged one of the readers after sharing her hilarious, yet heart wrenching story about how Crohn's disease has affected her sex life.
Get there early to secure seating as The Burlington was packed by the time the show started. Â And you also may want to jockey for a barstool at the bar or spot at the bench along the wall. Â Squatting in those crappy, low to the ground stools is more than mildly uncomfortable. Â Or do what I did and find someone to lean on.
Drink prices aren't horribly offensive. Â They have New Glarus on tap (It's called The Burlington Beer since it's technically not allowed to be sold in IL), and Allagash Whites for $5. Â My Jack and Diet only set me back $5, too.
Catch you at the next show!
They should call this place, "The Bastion" cause
it's the Karl Rove of Hipster bars.
Did they plan this?
Are the owners hipsters?
Or are they old men who like 18 year old hipster girls
who go to Columbia College because they confused it with Columbia University in New York?
So many questions but not one second to go to the Burlington to get them answered.
p.s.
They do get a star for being brave enough to set up shop west of Kimball.
This place is a major pain in my ass.
Pardon me, I mean, this place gave me a major pain in my ass. On the two times I've been to The Burlington, I ended up only getting a seat on the shorty church pews that are hard as fudge... and I mean fudge the same way little Ralphie did in The Christmas Story... as in, I don't mean fudge at all. It made my tail hurt... Ouchies!
The music, decor, and drinks were far less painful. In fact, I kind of really liked the place... besides that it again inflicted pain on me by being WAY too small for the amount of people patronizing and having us all step and stumble all over each other. Forget trying to squeeze to the back to go to the bathroom- wetting yourself is a better bet in this matchbox. Groan, Sigh, Ugh.
But on the other hand, there's a candy jar sooo- 4 stars!
Like someone else had said already, I wish I liked this place more. Â It's right on Fullerton and Kimball, walking distance from my apartment, and it would be a change of scene from the usual dives. Â
But every time I force myself to go to the Burlington, thinking to myself "this time, I'll like it. Â This time will be different!" I'm wrong. Â I still don't like it. Â
It's dark. Â Everyone has said that, but seriously. Â Hipster vampires could fucking FLOURISH at that bar. Â Last trip I made to the Burlington, I remember laughing at the doorman because he was trying to read. Â The lighting inside it little more than candle light. Â It's also very small inside, and the patrons, for the most part, annoy me. Â Too many deep-v t-shirts and slouchy berets for my taste. Â
Their "oldies night" can be very enjoyable, given the right amount of booze. Â And the beer selection is good.
So, on Mondays once a month they do a 'B' movie night here....the details are as follows: show up around 8ish, admire the original tin ceiling, order a drink or two, prepare to watch a grimy horror flick that will make you laugh out loud from its badness, lean back on the church pews, heckle the writing and continuity. Rinse and Repeat.
Oh you should also laugh and scream out loud at the movies 'special' effects....
Such a good time, probably about 20 people here to watch the flick and Jeremy who was the host was very gracious. They would like to see more of you bad 'B' movie fans out on a Monday night and now that it is cold out you really have no excuse now do you?
I haven't been there for a while, and I must say this place is better than ever. Great diverse crowd, a fine selection of great looking ladies, great selection of tap beers at good prices. Very eclectic music, kind of hit or miss really on this Thursday I attended, but it did seem to keep most of the crowd moving nonstop.
This is the only bar I can think of that may actually have more females in the crowd than males. This place is fucking awesome.
Ah, sweet Burlington... I seem to wind up here every time I'm in town, and it's not a bad thing - it's a comfy thing. From the very first time I came here, when a friend was DJing, I seem to run into at least one or two other random people I know (Hey, oops! Forgot to tell ya I was in town, but I'll buy you a beer!) pretty much every visit. It's great to have a place like that. Â
The music's generally good, the people including the bartenders often super-friendly, and the drinks are cheap enough for Chicago.
I like the long church-pew-ish bench against the wall. I completely love the big forest-in-fall mural. I think a strong part of me feeling so very at home here is that we had a similar wallpaper mural in our basement when I was young. The general dim-ski-lodge feel and "no requests" lite brite just deepen my affections.
Purty good. Â Finally ended up here with some friends, and overall it was decent. Good beers on tap, particularly Allaghash. Â This place is not a dive bar by any stretch. It seemed to me that the owners knew damn well who they were designing it to appeal to. It's a real lot like some other places past & present in the WP/UV area, and I don't think that's an accident. They certainly succeed, it's nice and dark and cavelike. Â Being a tall guy, the little bitty stools along the wall were a pain in the ass to squat down on, but seating was relatively plentiful. Â
This is a 'hipster' bar through and through in terms of its demographic (21-28 caucasian artsy types), but most folks probably know that coming in. Surprisingly, I didn't get a snooty vibe, and in fact the bartender, door guy and patrons were quite friendly.
The DJ though...holy shit was that bad the night I went. I don't know if they were being ironic (I'll go out on a limb and say 'yes'), but the 80s quirky electronic theme got very tired very quickly. I guess that's what the kids like, but it made this rock fan want to kill and eat random DJ victims. Remember when places like this would play stuff that had guitars in it? Kinda made me wish I went to Delilahs.
Overall, I'd go back, it was pleasant and I'm open to checking it out when the tunes don't make me want to icepick my eardrums. Â Not somewhere I would get particularly excited about but not bad either.
I'd rather dip my vibrator in glue and broken glass than go back here.
This place is too dark, too loud, and too hip for me. Â It's too bad, because the lay out and location are perfect for a real bar.
I could rant about how obnoxious hipsters can be, but they need places to hang out as well. Â I just wish they didn't choose a neighborhood as diverse as Logan Square for ground zero.
I like the tree wallpaper. Many stars just for that. I liked that the beer was still pretty cheap.
It is sort of hard to get into the bar to order a drink when the seats with tiny tables along the wall are all full. Example - last night some girl was insisting that she would have a mojito and was standing with her friends in the middle of the bar blocking the way from the bathroom to the front of the bar... Not sure but I really don't figure the Burlington as the type of place to stock fresh mint.
I also did not like that when the first time I went, I asked someone if unmarked doors were the bathrooms and she made fun of me for not knowing. Because a plain door with no sign is supposed to indicate that I can pee in there?
But these things really don't bother me so much when I am sitting down with a beer listening to some Loretta Lynn & other goodies.
I've been told they have shows here which seems bizarre as I can't imagine where a band would play. The bar is, in a word, narrow. But none-the-less, the Burlington is a fine place for a drink but that's about it. The bartenders mix a good cocktail but unfortunately do so in a joint that's not the best place to enjoy it.
The ambiance is pretty cool in an oxymoronic "classy dive bar" sort of way. And while the music is all fantastic (because or despite the Lite-Brite declaration of no requests) the music is simply played way too loudly. Really loud. Can't talk to your date while yelling in her ear loud.
In the right setting I have no problem with loud music. At a huge dance club or rock show it's fine. But when cramped in a small bar the "hip, happening, hipster haunt" vibe they are trying to put out comes off more as "the volume knob is stuck on 11". And that alone makes what could be a pretty cool spot into a place I'll never go out of my way to go again.
This is a good place to go if... you want to hear your favorite song played so loudly you'll never want to hear it again.
Walking into the bar I was immediately put at ease by hearing Doves on the iPod "jukebox", later a DJ kept the good tunes flowing on two turntables (no microphone!). On a Wednesday night the bar was nearly empty at 10pm so Mike the bartender was keeping the libations flowing with small talk. The clientele is friendly and chatty. I think the Charleston Chew candy jar helps!
The benches were great since we had a large group of comers and goers for Victoria S's B-Day celebration! (sans camera, wow!) I will say the lighting was too low for my tastes and I would really like to see some decor on the unlit brick walls. They have a great selection of craft brews on tap and in the bottle!
I don't know why everyone is surprised or complaining about hipsters in Logan Square. If you'd rather be with the backwards baseball cap-wearing idiots that can't leave their college years behind, have at it in Wrigleyville! I've heard Burlington is horrible on weekends, so I'll be avoiding it then, but I do think I've found my new chill weeknight hangout spot in the 'hood!
A friend of mine (who's on Yelp but hasn't written a review of this bar; so I'm stealing it) once summed the Burlington up astutely in the following way: "the only good thing about The Burlington is it sucked all of the hipsters out of the Whirlaway and made that bar better."
Yes, there are nice church benches lining the wall and here's even a secret about them: they open up so in the winter you can store things (like jackets) in them. Â Not that this would mean much more room in the bar. Â This might be the smallest, most crowded, most uncomfortable bar in the entire city on a weekend.
Hipsters meat market aside, not that you can mention this bar without mentioning that it's where hipsters go to mate, the prices here don't even match the clientele.  Sure PBRs are $2 but everything else on the menu is outrageously overpriced.  Of course since all hipsters drink is PBR (no, I shouldn't drag PBR into this, it's a fine beer), I guess they don't really notice this.  But for those of us who actually live in Logan Square and don't  go home to Humboldt Park and Ukrainian Village after the bar, this sticker shock is pretty enormous.
Everything about this bar offends me. Â It really does. Â I want it out of my neighborhood. Â I would be willing to picket it, I swear. Â Then again, if it keeps the hipsters out of Logan Square's good bars, I guess it can stay. Â At least its far enough down Fullerton that it doesn't ruin the rest of the neighborhood.
I've struggled with whether or not I should write this review since I always like to give a place a second chance. Â But the problem is I can't muster up the desire to go back here. Â
It was dark. Â It had wooden benches. Â Loud music. Â Candles. Good selection of beer. Â Bartender was friendly. Â But I thought it sucked. Â It was too dark for me. Â I felt like I was 12 sitting on the benches. Â The music was too loud. Â I couldn't hear my friends or myself talking. Â I like to talk while I drink. Â I get chattier the more I drink. Â Also, I was out-cooled. Â The music was too cool and indie for me. Â I didn't get it. Â I'm only 28 but I felt so old in here. Â Not good. Â Not good. Â And it didn't seem like the place had any personality. Â It was small but boring looking inside. Â I dunno. Â Maybe that's just me. Â I guess I'm just not cool and hip enough to come here. Â I mean, if nobody's interested in talking about revolutions and whatnot than I'll have to go elsewhere. Â And that always catches me off guard. Â I always think hipsters might be up for a good conversation about revolutions. Â
Did this review make any sense? Â I don't think so.
Apocalypse Now...at least for Logan Square. I can't give it a dismissive one star, since it is clean and has nice pretty candles and an impressively stocked bar. Â If you are a young person with an Upper Playground dj bag and you are looking for your better half, this is the place. You will not be able to talk, since the music is at ear-bleed volume, but that's not the point, eh?
I'm moving back to Ohio.
I should have known I was in trouble when I saw all the fixed gear bikes locked up out front...
I am unable to wrap my mind around the concept of this as any kind of 'old man bar' past present or future as it is to dark, to loud and the music to peppy. Old men bars are places where serious drinking goes down, men on a mission to numb the pain inside with cheap drinks far, far away from reality. Â Somewhere you sit down, lay cash on the table and waste a solid 6 hours of life in drunken public solitude; this is not The Burlington.
what the Burlington is, however, is just another crappy imitation dive/old man bar/ corner tavern created to cater to hipsters moving here from the suburbs of Chicago, or other cities, who want the image of hanging in a sub-pat local bar without the danger of being assaulted by a sterno bum or getting your their new Keds wet with raw sewage from a back up in the bathroom. Â I swear a little piece of me dies every time I see a great space with an aged car, cool coolers crammed with kids in tight pants and striped shirts.
Nuts and bolts wise this place could be decent where it not infested with hipsters enjoying 'ironic' DJ selections at twice the volume of a 747 at takeoff power. Â The drink selection was good and reasonably priced and the staff quick and friendly. Â The place looks comfy and probably looks good too, although it was to damn dark to tell for sure; we are talking goth club dark here.
Of course this was on a Friday, weeknights it may be a better place if it mellows out without the weekend crowd. Â I am giving it an extra star based on the hope that on a weeknight it might be an interesting place to drink vs. the 'scene' it seems to be on a Friday.
Side note: Â $5 for a pair of $2 PBRs and a tip is SUCK tip for a pair of drinks children. Â Tips like that free drinks do not make.
Meh.
"Old Man bar of the future" what??
What kinda tagline is that, Burlington? I incredulously mentioned to the owner  that the dj club music did not give off an "old man bar" vibe and he gave me a smarmy look and told me there were plenty of other bars. Whoa, tiger.
Perhaps they don't even use that motto anymore. I wanted to love the bar with it's close proximity. Maybe I'll try it again someday but for now...
Blow me.
When I moved up from Springfield, Missouri, I left a loft in an area that was in the same budding state that Logan Square is currently going through. I've been going to this bar since the soft-open. It's nicest during the week, when there isn't anybody there before 11 p.m. That sentiment is partially due to the fact that I am not a fan of crowded bars, but The Burl's reputation has definitely drifted into neighboring territories like Wicker Park, and whatever else is around Logan Square. During the weekends, this place is packed, and it becomes a bit of a SRO situation.
But, there is always room to dance if you want. Lately, my joints have been hurting, so it's easier to stand and watch. But it's also hard to stand when you've had a lot to drink, and at that point, it's easier to dance. But then dehydration can set in quickly. Drink plenty of water!
Anyway, this bar is pretty sweet. Chris and Greg are great guys and the bartenders are always pouring my drink when I walk in the door. That's service you can't buy, but can expect after you go there a lot.
Upon visiting The Burlington for the first time, a friend uttered that this place claims to be a Milwaukee-esque excursion. A Wisconsin-chic drink stop. WHAT?!
I lived in Milwaukee for five years of my life and in no way could this clean-cut, clubby bar convey the essence that is that fine and dirty city. Sure, it's dimly lit like most Milwaukee streets. And yea, I noticed a pair of antlers on the wall which could somehow resemble a bit of Wisconsin wildlife. Plus they sell PBR which is definitely a brew city staple.
But, come on guys. Just because you're in the neighborhood doesn't mean you ARE the neighborhood. I have no idea what i'm talking about anymore. Just disregard this whole freaking review!!!
All I know, is that it was too dark for me to see what the heck was going on. And that's actually what I liked the most about it!
S'alright.
I highly encourage any bar sprouting up in the neighborhood. Â That said, faux-dives are a tricky species.
Bartenders are nice, and circulate well even when this place is super crowded. Â Seating is sparse -- a litte bit at the front window, a fair amount at the bar, and two pews lining the side wall. Â I REALLY like the dive/hunterslogdge/funky candle light thing. Â Good guest DJ's.
This place is SMOKEY. Â With the smoking ban kicking in any day now, The Burlington chose not to invest in any sort of air filter. Â So... Â know going in that your clothes will reek for a few days. Â (FYI: Â "OUST"'ing your hair does not work. Â And is prone to sting your eyes.)
Ya know, the kiddos these days do love their Authencity, and it doesn't get as pre-fab "Authenticty-y" as Burlington: Â the guys who bought this place pretty have kept the original dankness of this polish neighborhood dive -- it seems adding only a good P.A., a boombox in the bathroom, and a wink-wink nudge-nudge. Â Think Danny's West.
--------------------
2/13 Update: Â Burlington has the best Guest DJ's in the city. Â Local celebs and touring bands alike show up to spin at Burlington on any given day. Â Also, the smoking ban has made the worst quality of this bar evaporate.
I don't get it. Â Maybe this place is just way too cool for me. That has just got to be it given all the 5 star reviews for this place. Â Or maybe it's because there is little else to choose from in the neighborhood. Â Or maybe- it should be listed as a "dive bar" so that people's expectations are set at the right level.
But in my opinion- the Burlington is little more than a storefront that someone put a bar in along with some church pews for sitting and said- " Ta- da! Â It's a bar". Â Â The best parts of the place? Â The DJ who was playing some great music and the selection of beers on tap.
The funny thing is is that I dragged a friend to this place based on the outstanding Yelp reviews- so my expectations were high.  We walked into a very stark space with people all sitting in a row along the wall  to the left in these church pews, not looking particularly comfortable.  I  mean, c'mon- there is a reason that church is only an hour- who can sit in those pews any longer than that? Â
Getting something to drink was also an interesting feat. Â When the guy I was with gave up trying to get the bartender's attention, we decided that maybe someone of the female persuasion would be able to get a drink faster so then it was my turn to try. Ahh- success, finally.
As I drank my hard to acquire drink, I wondered why these people would come to an empty room and sit staring out into the vacant space as there was really nothing to do at this bar. Â There are not even enough light fixtures to cast light into the corners so it had a dark and somewhat dismal feel even with all the candles scattered about.
So call me uncool because I just don't get the appeal of this place. Â That's fine with me. Â The beauty of Chicago is that there is a bar on every corner. Â And I am going to spend my money in one that is maybe less convenient to my friends who live in Logan Square- but where I am comfortable and can get a drink without having to to resort to my female wiles!
Update- hate to do it, but I knocked a star off.
Still, A great bar. Â Here's what makes Burlington a five, er, I mean a FOUR star bar: Â
Great beers on tap? Â Yes, a really nice selection, including one that's right at home here, but you won't find elsewhere! Â Order yourself a Burlington Beer and get ready to be transported by a beverage from a bucolic dairy state to the north, and it ain't a miller!
Great decor? Â Yes. it's not a big space but they've decorated the place pretty nicely- looks a bit like my own living room in a way even! Â It's very dark and candle lit- I counted just three legitimate electric light fixtures in the place. Â Did I mention the place is dark? Â Comfy 70s style vinyl bar stools (the kind with a back to 'em like a real chair) make it a pleasure to spend a couple hours sitting at the bar. Â Sitting elsewhere can be nice- when you can get a spot along the long wall you'll have a good view of the place.
Good music? Â Oh yes, the Burlington takes this seriously too- the DJs can be very good- nothing predictable or shitty served up in general...I'm sick of the weekend DJs playing hall-n-oats though. Â Even so, the volume's kept reasonable when it's not too late, so having a conversation is not generally a problem. Â Later at night the place can be loud.
Good staff? Â TOTALLY. Â Everyone is pleasant and does their job just fine. Â I feel more cared for here as a drinker than at any other similar place around town- they seem to give a shit, and not just about your $.
Good crowd? Â Yeah, Logan Square has needed this place for a while now. Its location promises to keep the place lively most nights for sure. Â Some nights it's been a little too crowded though. Â This place struggles here- it's easy to be the extra person who just doesn't physically fit anywhere in this place. Â They need to do better with that front area to add some seating or something to make a person want to be over there.
Intangibles? Â Meg's review nailed it- the bar manages to be modern while still feeling Chicago in all ways.
Only time will tell what this place turns into, but for now it's a much needed nightlife upgrade for the area, and done right.
UPDATE: If these guys didn't INVENT clique behavior, they sure perfected it.
There's the DJ clique. A bunch of people crowd around the DJ booth and have their own little party over there? Wanna talk to the DJ? Too bad. It's a corner party, and you're not invited.
The bartenders seem far more interested in talking to their friends and women than serving me a drink. On a slow night, I had to wait 10 minutes for a beer. Not cool. And the level of alcohol in my drinks was about half that of the bartender's friends. I honestly had to ask if there was whiskey in my Diet Coke. Then I had to ask if there was even Diet Coke in my Diet Coke. It was like a glass of ice.
Stick to beer, sprout some tits and you might have a good time.
ORIGINAL REVIEW: So the Burlington is a bar. It has drinks, seats and a TV.
The only really noticeable thing about the place is the '80s tune-blasting boomboxes near the ceiling of each unisex restroom . I think each of my friends and I got a different song. Mine was Toto's "Roseanna."
$2 PBRs were awesome, and the crowd was younger and more attractive than the average Logan Square gang. Other than that and a delicious Spaten on tap, Â I didn't see much else that impressed me.
"Logan Square seems like a cool place to tell people you live, but really, besides three good restaurants there isn't shit to do. Until now."
That basically sums it up. Â A surprisingly hip bar on a dead strip of Fullerton... once you get over the shock, you realize it's about damn time there's a non-ironic hipster bar in Logan Square. Â I stopped in for opening night and here's the essential details: The interior is dark, minimal, and full of wood. Â The beer selection is righteous. Â The music is good and loud. Â The seating was not plentiful-- bar stools and an outward facing wall bench for the "see and be scene" types. Â But otherwise I'm optimistic for this new neighborhood joint... And hey, with a piece of nightlife finally opening up, maybe we'll actually start seeing cabs in Logan Square...
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